CONCRETE Magazine Memphis 8 by CONCRETE Magazine

10-12 ......................Lil Boosie 18 .. What’s Your Issue w/ Big Sue 20 .............. Streets Is Watching 22 ............................ Mic Tee 24 ..................... DVD Reviews 26-28 ................. Memphis 10’s Lil Boosie. Mic Tee. F1 Diamond. Summertime in Memphis. During these tough ﬁnancial times, we gotta remind ourselves to keep grinding. And these 3 represent the grind. So while we dodge the 100+ temperatures (and the crime), remember Concrete will be here. And we don’t take the summer off! Be on the lookout on the Special Double Issue Classic Weekend when we show why we soooo Memphis! Published by: Concrete Magazine Editor In Chief: “Corporate” Cory Sparks Assistant Editor: Amariah Tyler Sales Manager: Ricardo Hunter Ad Sales: Shabrea Hunter Distribution: Connell Boyland & Reggie Knox Art Director: Audie Adams Publishing Consultant: Bryan Deese

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CONCRETE: As a young hustler growing up in the streets of Baton Rouge, did you one day think you would become “Boosie Badazz?” Boosie: I been a bad azz since I was little. As far as Boosie Badazz, I always felt I was better than everybody as far as just a rapper. I felt like I would never get that exposure. I had the dream but at the same time I didn’t believe in the dream because where I’m from it’s hard to get on as far as the Atlanta and New York cats. I had the dream but I didn’t believe in the dream. CONCRETE: Growing up you were actually known for your skills on the court and the mic. What caused you to switch gears and enter the rap game? Boosie: You know I was famous on the court. I was in the ninth grade starting varsity and in the 10th grade I fell off in the streets. The rapping just came to me. I’ve been rapping since I was 8 years old. I had to feed my family and basketball couldn’t pay no bills. In high school I had to help my momma out and people came at me with ventures to make money with the rap and I took off. It was no more basketball after that.

CONCRETE: You grew up during a time when hip-hop was considered laughable. Who were some rappers who had a big inﬂuence on you? Boosie: The Hot Boys made me think less of women like “I ain’t worried about no women. You gotta love me. I ain’t gotta love no woman”! Master P. I was really supporting all Cash Money and No Limit. It made me strong, fancy and a show out. It made me wear bandanas, ree’s, jee’s and boes. Shout out to Baby “Birdman”, Weezy, BG, Juvi, everybody. The whole movement. CONCRETE: A lot of people compare you to the 2Pac of the south. What do you think about that? Boosie: Cuz I am. I’m deep like 2pac. I’ve been through a lot of his trials and tribulations. He made me speak whatever I had on my mind even if it’s gonna hurt a million people. Pac helped me out with wanting to be a badazz. Acting crazy. He helped me with all that. I appreciate the love I get from being the 2Pac of the south. My music relates to him and I’m real just like him. CONCRETE: You have a lot of respect from guys and much love from women. On your MySpace page, one young woman left a comment asking you for a “one night stand.” Do you get requests like that often?

Boosie: Yeah I get requests like that all the time. I’m a handsome young man and every time you see me I’m well put together. I have a good image and I feel like without music I can go places and pack a crowd cuz people just wanna see me. The women love me and women are buying most of the cds today. I love the women back even though I got a woman. CONCRETE: What were you doing when you heard your song playing on the radio for the ﬁrst time? Boosie: I was riding with my boys in the car smoking a blunt. I just started smiling, bucking and jumpin. I was hype. I got on that gin and I threw up that night. I remember it clear as day. The song was Outlaws with me and C-Low. I was riding down Chipawa [in Baton Rouge] it was crazy. CONCRETE: You have an album slated for release this year entitled “Superbad: The Return of Boosie Badazz.” Who are some of the producers and artists that will be featured? Boosie: I got Big Wayne as a producer. I got The Runners. Mouse and BJ. Savage got a track on there. B Real did “Loose as a Goose,” one of my singles. This time I reached out more as far as putting artists on there. I got Trina, Bobby V, Young Jeezy and of course Webbie and Foxx. I reached out to other artists to help my record sales.

Last time I had to prove something. Shout out to the people who got on my album for the swap and not for the money. So my album is the best album this year hands down. CONCRETE: We heard you got a movie coming out? Boosie: Yea we got “Ghetto Stories: The Movie” coming out. It’s a real nice movie. I’m looking forward to it. It’s my ﬁrst major acting role. I got another DVD coming out called the “Come Up”. I been making people laugh and cry since school. This acting thing is just in me and when I’m on the set I take it seriously cuz I want that acting money. I want that acting check! CONCRETE: How did you hook up with Trill Entertainment? Boosie: I had just turned 17 and just caught a charge. I had told them I was 15 so they took me to a detention center. When they found out my real age, they took me to the parish. I had to do 60 days in jail. I got a call from Mel and Pimp C and talked. When I got out of jail we went into the studio with Pimp C. We did some songs and I was already hot on the streets locally so we started getting major and major. We were recording in trailers and around rats we had to set rat traps. From all that to the nicest studios with ﬂat screens. They picked me up out some slums so everything I had put on wax they was feeling it. From there I became their main artist and we went from there. CONCRETE: What’s next for Boosie Badazz? Boosie: Right now I’m shopping my label deal with Badazz Entertainment. Of course “Superbad,” I’m hoping for a “Gangsta Musik 2” with Webbie. I’m just staying focused getting on people’s tracks, working hard and stacking my money up for hard times.

Hi Sue, I’m a 27 year old young lady that in the past few months met this sexy, great guy and we hit it off immediately! We date, travel, have great conversation and have great chemistry. As time passed on (6 months) he told me he was married with kids. He says he told me because he felt like he was falling in love with me. I was devastated so I slowly backed away! However he keeps calling, texting and sending me flowers to my job. I’m back with him because believe we belong together and he doesn’t act like he’s married. Although I don’t want to be with him because he’s married, he bought me a promise ring and promised to never leave me. He’s always available for me and he makes me happy. I don’t want to be happy with someone else’s man, and then again I do. I don’t know what to do Sue....I don’t know which way to go...please be honest and put yourself in my situation because this is my life... Sleepless In South Memphis Ok Sis, you sent the email for some straight talk, I respect that so I’ll try not to go too hard. Here are some things your nose-wide-open-ass is ignoring. Yes, he told you he was married; AFTER he was sure you had fallen for him and it wasn’t all out of love, a good deal of that was guilt. Next, you mentioned flowers and a promise ring-okay, he’s bought rings before, and yours is special because...? Why couldn’t he put all that energy into filing for a divorce if you two truly belong together? And if he does, can you play step-mommy to some kids whose family you helped destroy? It sounds harsh, but it’s the real side of being the mistress. You asked me to put myself in your place, try putting yourself in the wife’s place. I appreciate your consciousness about this issue. It truly sounds like you’re looking for love and he makes you feel special, I get it; but you deserve someone who can throw that 100% right back at you.

Wanna stalk Sue? Check her on myspace.com/bigsueshouse. Also Big Sue is the hardest working woman in radio. Catch her on K-97 (WHRK) from 6am-10am on The Mike Evans Morning Show and running her mouth some more from 10am-2pm during her Midday’s. Got a question for Sue? Email her at concretesue@gmail with the subject line “I Got Issues” and she’ll offer the best/worst advice known to man.

CONCRETE: You’re described as the “F” between the Weezy and the Baby, the “1” in KRS and the hyphen in the Jay-Z. Is that how you came up with the name F1-Diamond? F1: That verse came from me just letting people know that just cause my subject matter is different, that doesn’t mean that my ﬂow ain’t ill. So that was my way of letting people know I got a mean ﬂow, because hip hop as an art form is still competitive. CONCRETE: You’re originally from Milwaukee. How did you end up here in Memphis? F1: I was born & raised in Milwaukee, and heavily involved in the street-life of my city. 7 years ago I came to Memphis for what I thought would be just a visit. Make the long story short I gave my life to Christ on the Highway during the trip to Memphis and never looked back. I mean once I got saved, Memphis was just the perfect place to fresh start my Life. CONCRETE: Not to be labeled as another dumb rapper, you obtained your GED and received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biblical Studies and now an ordained minister. What do you tell young men and women who may have lost hope or that it’s too late for them? F1: Funny Thing is when I got to Memphis; I was a High School Drop Out. So I went back and got my GED then enrolled in a 4 year College and got my Bachelors. I tell young people that are struggling to look at me. Literally this is a case of if I can, you surely can. I messed my life up in every way possible but with the help of God, family and my church I was able to bring it back on track. I actually have an organization called “The Way of America Inc.” and we actually aggressively go after young people between the ages of 16-27 who have not achieved a High School Diploma. CONCRETE: What do you think the general perception of Christian Rap and Hip Hop is and why? F1: In the defense of Christian hip hop, there is alot of wack regular hip hop that gets a pass because of its subject matter. I think because of the negative stereotype of it not being good music forces us to deliver even better product which is happening with a host of Christian artist. Stations are playing Mary Mary “God in Me” in regular rotation on all stations. So in a weird way this genre is answering the call to deliver good music on top of the message. CONCRETE: What projects do you have out now or are working on that we should be up on? F1: Well I just signed a nationwide Distribution deal with Cloud 10 Ent. / E1 Entertainment (Koch Records) for my Label T.A.E./DLM. Our 1st release is drops September 8th, 2009 called F1 DIAMOND “Pastor of the Traphouse THE ALBUM”. Cloud 10 Pictures is the company that brought you movies such as, “Left Behind” and “Saving God” featuring Ving Rhames. So I’ll be making my onscreen debut soon with Cloud 10. There will also be a promotional mixtape available for free download on my birthday July 27th at 12:44 a.m. called “Go Get ‘Em, Bring ‘Em Back The LP”. Also I’m doing a joint venture with an artist by the name of B. JACKSON and I signed an artist by the name of CANO. I have a clothing line called “F1 Diamond Classic Wear” and my foundation “The Way of America Inc”. But more important than all that stuff I’m serving the Lord and that’s my Biggest project.

CONCRETE: As a DJ for K97 and host of “The Franchise Mixshow Experience” you’ve been responsible for putting the city on to a lot of artists and breaking a lot or records. What have been some of your greatest moments? Mic Tee: Spring 1999 I was attending a college party at Club 616. A week or so before Spring Break, it was a flyer out about what was going on the next week and on it the text read “Congratulations DJ Mic Tee, The Newest member of The Collegiate Connection DJs.” At that moment I looked around like Yoooo!!! Look my names on some flyers......haha. I knew I was on the right path. Also in Spring 2004 I took a trip to Puerto Rico, my first time out of the county on business for Mixshow Power Summit. For the first time I met DJ Red Alert, DJ Enuff, and also watched Jin punish Jae Millz in a freestyle battle was dope too. CONCRETE: A native Chicagoan by the way of New Orleans, how did you end up in the M-Town? Mic Tee: My family decided to relocate. CONCRETE: How did you get your start as a DJ? Mic Tee: I got my start spinning vinyl and breaking records at the Crystal Palace. CONCRETE: Name your top 5 albums of all time. Mic Tee: Dr. Dre (The Chronic), Nas (It Was Written), Ludacris (Back For the First Time), Jay-Z (Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life) and tied for 5th: 50 Cent (Get Rich or Die Trying) and Young Jeezy (Thug Motivation 101). CONCRETE: You’ve released some of your own mix tapes throughout your career. What’s next for Mic Tee? Mic Tee: I won’t share that information. It is good to know what I’m doing influences the streets. I’ll say that. CONCRETE: Where can our readers and listeners check you out? Clubs: Sundays at Cactus Jack, Thursdays at The Rumba Room, Fridays at The Gentlemen’s Club Show Girls, and Saturdays at Level II. WHRK K97.1 10 o’clock Mixtape Monday - Thursdays, Franchise Mixshow Experience 10pm-1am Fridays and Saturday 6pm-10pm. CONCRETE: Any shout outs? Mic Tee: Thank God first, without him I would be nothing and for most definitely keeping me grounded. Shout outs to my big brother Patrick because he was the first to let it be known to the streets about the new DJ. Shout outs to The whole K97 crew.